Hello Readers,
Welcome back to the lovely world of Blind Q&A. In this post, my lovely participants and I discuss some tips and tricks for interacting with the blind. I received quite a few questions on this topic and as always, my volunteers had some interesting and helpful answers.
Q: Is it ok to make blind jokes with blind people?
*Swatha N: If you know the person well and you know they’ll understand it’s a joke, then go right ahead. However, I would advise you not to do that with random strangers. You won’t know how comfortable they are with their vision loss or if they would find it offensive.
*Michael H: Generally, I’d recommend not making jokes about blindness (or any other disability/experience you haven’t had, for that matter) unless you are absolutely sure the person would find it funny, but please do laugh if a blind person makes a blind joke! I personally use humor to put people at ease, and one of the things I like to do is help people be as comfortable as possible with my blindness.
*Raven W: I absolutely love a good blind joke, so I say yes. Just be cautious if you don’t know the person well. Not everyone enjoys them. You can normally take your cues from them. If they crack a blind joke, then you are free to do the same.
*Leena K: Yes! That’s all I need to say, but since this question is being asked… I find blind jokes funny as long as they do not insult the intelligence of the blind.
Q: As a potential housemate, what are some things I should be aware of when having a blind housemate?
*Raven W: Let us know when you’re going to move things. It can be a struggle when you flop onto a couch that no longer is on that side of the living room.
*Swatha N: Treat them like you would a regular roommate. Don’t be overbearing or overprotective, keep open channels of communication, make sure you help them when they need help and accept it when they tell you they got it.
*Michael H: The most important thing to remember when living with a blind person is that we can do most things that sighted people can—we just do them differently. We can cook; we can clean; we can do our own laundry, etc. We just do things differently. In terms of more practical actions, please don’t leave things in the way where we could trip on them. On a similar note, please don’t move our stuff unless you have to, and please tell us if you do. We understand that it might be necessary to move our belongings when cleaning, or if they’re in the way, etc.; please just tell us if you do this, so we know where to find our stuff when we want it.
*Leena K: Do not move items around. I find it much easier when things are in their place because then I won’t have to ask you to find things.
Q: Is there any easy way to tell someone who is blind about an aesthetic mishap (shirt inside out, something in teeth, bra showing, etc.)?
*Swatha N: Tell it like you would anyone else. Don’t make it sound like you’re pitying them, but definitely tell them.
*Raven W: Tell us as soon as possible. Of course, don’t shout it to the rooftops, but we’d like to know if something funky’s going on with our style.
*Michael H: Yes! You might say something like, “I don’t know if you know already, but your shirt is on inside out.” It’s neutral and to the point; it doesn’t assume anything (“I don’t know if you know already,”); and it doesn’t call attention to the fact that the blind person can’t see whatever it is you’re pointing out to them. Telling us about aesthetic mishaps is one of the most helpful things you can do for us, and we will greatly appreciate you for it—even though it might be uncomfortable for us to hear at the time.
*Leena K: Just say it. Please! We don’t to go outside looking unpresentable. I’m not a fan of stereotypes, and I wouldn’t want people to have them about me more than they already do.
Q: What are the most irritating things sighted people do around blind people (List top 5 if possible)?
*Leena K:
#1. Speak to sighted companions about blind people
#2. Grab the blind person without warning (even if it’s in the attempt to help).
#3. Assume we need help rather than asking.
#4. Don’t hire us for jobs because of our blindness.
#5. Believe they know what life is like when they put on a blindfold for a few minutes. They don’t.
*Raven W:
#1. Purposely distracting my guide dogs: Don’t do it! Teasing a working dog with food, toys, or attention while they’re working is not only a jerk move, but it can put the handler in danger.
#2. Letting doors slam on me: If you see me with a dog in my left hand and 20 things in my right, please take five seconds out of your day and hold the door.
#3. Running from my dog: I understand if you’re afraid of dogs, but please don’t run. Most of the time, the dog will think you’re playing and will want to play too.
#4. Only helping halfway: If you don’t want to help, then don’t. It’s fine, and I won’t be too bitter about it, but don’t help part of the way and then leave me hanging.
#5. Putting limits on what I can do: I’ve been blind a lot longer than most people have probably known me. I am totally aware of what I can and can’t do. I will let you know if there is something I am unable to do, but don’t make that assumption for me.
*Michael H:
#5. Not asking questions. I know my blindness makes people somewhat uneasy, simply because sighted people don’t have any firsthand experience with it. But you don’t know what you don’t know, and you won’t learn unless you ask. If you’re worried about offending me with questions you have, you might try leading in by saying something like, “I have some questions, but I really don’t want to offend you. If you don’t feel comfortable answering, please tell me and I’ll understand.” If I don’t want to answer a question, don’t worry, I won’t.
#4. Being “politically correct” about blindness. Blind people aren’t “visually challenged,” or “hard of seeing.” We’re blind. Please, just call it what it is and get comfortable with it.
#3. Avoiding using words like “see,” “sight,” etc. in conversation. Words like “see” imply more than just the physical use of one’s eyes; I tell my friends that I’ll see them later, and I ask my friends if they see what I mean when I’m explaining my perspective in a discussion. As an example, it would be awkward for a blind person to ask someone, “Want to go hear a movie?”
#2. Assuming that because other blind people you know/have seen can do something, that I can do it too/as well as other blind people. No two people are the same, and this applies equally as much for blind people. There are things that all my friends can do that I cannot, and that’s embarrassing enough without you telling me I should be able to do something because so-and-so can do it so well.
#1. Assuming you know my needs and what would help me better than I do. Blindness is rather misunderstood, in that sighted people think we need assistance with very basic things that, in all likelihood, we’ve already figured out solutions to a long time ago. I sometimes see products/apps for blind people hit the market and think to myself, “That’s a solution in search of a problem.” If you want to help, please just ask us what we need instead of assuming; and if we tell you we don’t need help with whatever it is you’re offering, please take us at our word and don’t be offended.
*Swatha N: These are not in any order, but things I’ve encountered in my life.
#. Avoiding words like look, see, watch, etc.
#. Apologizing when I tell them I can’t see.
#. Grabbing my arm and attempting to steer me somewhere.
Q: What tips would you give a sighted person who has never interacted with a blind or visually impaired person?
*Raven W: Treat us like you would anyone else. Blindness doesn’t mean weak or inhuman. We laugh, we cry, and we get angry. We have goals and dreams that are not different from yours.
*Leena K: Treat us like normal people instead of foreign object that might break.
have interests, feelings, hopes, and dreams; and chances are, they’re more similar to yours than you might initially think.
*Swatha N: Treat them like a regular person. The blind are people too.
Thank you so much for reading. You can expect the last post of the series to come out by the middle of next week at the latest.
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